Giardullo’s solo soprano saxophone recital is a lovely example of how the most successful art is always much more than the sum of its parts. Recorded live in Krakow, Poland, Weather consists of four moderately long improvisations ranging from just under 11 to almost 19 minutes.

Giardullo’s concept—calm and considered, for the most part—embraces cool free jazz melodic phrasing, scalar and arpeggiated textures, microtonal manipulation, reductionist key clicks and subtones, and a great deal of playing in the horn’s upper harmonic reaches. Arguably its most interesting element is the way Giardullo connects saxophonic convention to the outer reaches of the horn’s sound-making possibilities. He grounds his improvisations by means of motivic elaboration and development, vocalic inflections, extremes of dynamic contrast—very loud and very soft—and the occasional tonal center. To this he adds unconventional touches (the aforementioned clicks and burbles, multiphonics, alternate fingerings) that serve to enhance the spontaneous element at the music’s core.

If there’s a flaw, it’s Giardullo’s tendency to reside perhaps a bit overlong in the higher-most registers. The soprano’s tessitura is high as it is; above its normal range it can be almost insufferable. A lot of sax players do it. It’s a valid choice, but not one I myself tend to make. Aside from that, there’s nothing here I did not enjoy and admire immensely. Giardullo combines an infinitude of small gestures into a fascinating and original whole.